The Love Test
by Tsaritza Mika
Summary: Every teen girl magazine has one...


Hey all! I know I should be working on my other updates and everything, but this idea popped in my head and I just had to type it up! Surprisingly enough, this is my first ever one-shot, so please be sure to review and let me know how it worked out! If I get enough I may have the confidence to try again in the future. Anyway, this idea came to me while I was flipping through a Cosmo Mag that was left in the break room at my work. It seems like just about every magazine for girls/women has love tests, how good of a kisser are you, etc. so it felt right that a normal girl like Kaname should be put to the mercy of one such frivolity. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**The Love Test **

Kaname poked idly at the bento she had prepared for herself that day. She had used the leftovers from the Tempura she had fixed the night before, and while still good, her mood dulled any remaining flavor her lunch might have had. Glancing across the room, she secretly watched her protector as he continued to discuss all sorts of useless military nonsense with Kazama, a rare grin on his face as the two debated on the recent schematic releases for the M9 Armslave Model. Sighing, her chopstick poked at one of the crispy pickles she had packed.

She wasn't mad at him anymore, though she had every right to be after he nearly scared the crap out of an innocent businessman who was just trying to ask when the next train to Saitama was! With a grimace on her face, she turned to stop looking at him, making sure to flip her hair over her shoulder, just in case he had seen her. Absently her other hand found the other bento hidden in her desk that she had packed so carefully, reminding her that she had wanted to congratulate him for doing so well on last week's test. He had tried really hard, and they had studied for four straight days before hand, nearly causing themselves to be utterly exhausted that morning. Thankfully, as they had found out yesterday afternoon, he had not only passed, but had gotten half credit for answering the extra credit question at the end partially right.

A hand passed in front of her face, waking Kaname from her daydream state to find Kyoko's bright smile beaming down at her. "Hey Kana, come over and eat with us. Mizuki brought in this month's Teen Idols magazine, you wanna see?"

Smiling as best she could in her current mood, Kaname tapped her chopsticks against the plastic rim of her lunch. "Thanks Ky, but I think I'm okay. I'm kind of out of it today." A sly look passed over the spectacled face of her best friend, and Kaname had to wonder what the girl felt she knew.

"Aw, come on Kana. Besides, there's a really fun love test in the back!" Kaname tried to keep from looking over toward the mech and military-obsessed boys across the room, and the longer and harder she tried, the more she could feel a deep blush rising to her cheeks. "What's wrong Kana? It's only in good fun. I mean, you're not scared of a silly love test …are you?"

That had done it, the straw that broke the camel's back. It happened whenever Tessa was around too, though she'd be damned if she would ever admit that. The instant Kyoko had mentioned that Kaname Chidori would be afraid of a ridiculous love test, nothing more than ink on paper, her competitive spirit roared to life. Meeting her friends gaze, Kaname stood and took hold of her bento, her face set with a determined look. "Bring it on Ky. I'll show you I'm not afraid of some stupid love test!"

Kyoko's sly look did a complete turnaround, and within seconds she was back to her bright and shining smile. "Great! Come on over then! Ren-chan saved you a seat!"

~~~~~***~~~~~

Noticing her movements across the room, Sousuke turned to watch as Kaname followed Kyoko over to sit with Ren, Mizuki and Maya. Noticing that his friend was no longer paying attention, Shinji glanced over to find out what had stolen Sousuke's attention away from the technical comparison between the T96 and the M6A1. Seeing Kaname sit heavily down in her seat and slamming her bento down in front of her, Shinji turned back with a wry grin. "So what's she angry about this time Sousuke?"

With a sigh, Sousuke turned back and took another bite of his Calorie Mate. "I thought someone was bothering her this morning. I acted too quickly, and as it turned out, he was just trying to ask her about the train schedule."

"Found out too late huh?"

"Affirmative." Noticing the overly somber mood that had settled around his friend, Shinji reached over and patted his shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry too much Sousuke; Kaname can never stay mad at you for very long. Just give her some space and things will be back to normal in no time." Feeling at least somewhat reassured, Sousuke nodded. All things considered, Kazama was right about how Kaname's anger for him never seemed to last too long. Still, he would need to make sure he apologized again sometime on the way home, just to be sure. For now though, he would give her the space she needed.

~~~~~***~~~~~

Now sitting with her friends, Kaname began to feel nervous again. Kaname began silently assessing each of the girls as Kyoko looked for the right page for the test. '_Hm, I know I could say anything and Ren and Kyoko would probably never pass it on unless I asked them to help me out. Maya…oh god Maya is such a gossip! There's no way I can say what I would really answer! It would be all over the school before the end of lunch!!_' Just when she thought that Kyoko and Ren might be enough to sway Maya to not say anything, especially if they asked nicely, Mizuki flipped her short hair and made a comment about how it should have been a test of how popular a girl was.

'_Aw hell! I forgot that Mizuki was the one who brought in the damn thing! I'll have to lie all through this thing just to survive!_' Kaname was only thankful that she had kept her face neutral during her thoughts, as she could practically feel her every muscle twitch at the thought of Mizuki promising not to say anything, then blabbing all over the place the next time she was reminded that Kaname had the larger bust. '_She would do something like that! Jealous little twit! Like I can control how much my boobs grow!!_'

"Chidori-san?"

"Huh?"

"Are you ready?" Ren quietly passed her a small piece of paper and a pen to record her answers, all the other girls had them prepared, and were hoping to tally their scores once the test was completed.

"Uh, yeah of course! Let's do this!" Taking up a pencil of her own, Kyoko began to read the questions out loud.

"Okay, first question: You think about him, a) All the time, b) Whenever you see him at school/around town, c) Rarely, or d) After you've finished thinking about another really cute guy."

"Oh come on, that is _so_ obvious. Why would you not really think about him if you didn't like him?" Mizuki smiled widely and nodded at Maya, agreeing completely.

"Seriously, he should be on your mind all the time, no matter what time of day!" Giggling along with the other girls about the rather over-the-top response from Mizuki, Kaname marked down her answer, making sure to keep a secret tally under the fold of her napkin for her real answers. As Maya and Kyoko made a few teasing comments about Tsubaki and Shirai, Kaname stole a quick glance across the room. Sousuke was still sitting with Shinji near the windows, and it appeared that Ono-D had returned from the vending machines and joined them. Turning back to the small piece of paper in front of her, she thought a little more about the first question.

Of course right off the bat she had marked down rarely, though the more she stared at the lies that had flowed from her pen, her true answer was practically burning itself into her napkin. "Hey Kaname what was your answer?"

"Huh? What?"

"Well, don't leave us in suspense! You chose A, am I right?" '_Ack! How do they __do__ that!?_' she thought as she tried to dispel their suspicions. Waving her hands in front of her, Kaname tried in vain to keep the rising blush off her face.

"Seriously guys, I don't really like anyone. But since they didn't have an option for that I just put down C." The girls either didn't look convinced, or weren't amused by her valiant efforts, Kaname couldn't tell which, and the longer they stared, the more she felt herself being backed into a corner.

"C? Honestly?"

"There really isn't anyone you like Chidori-san?"

"Yeah, like maybe someone who likes fishing and Armslaves?" Kaname's eye barely twitched as the memory of her time with Sousuke at his favorite fishing spot on Merida floated across her mind. Her grip tightened on the pen, and for a moment Kaname had to wonder if they made pens as strong as they used to, or if she was just getting stronger.

"Seriously guys, come on, let's just move on to the next question okay?" Three out the four faces stared at her unconvinced, and Ren just poured herself another cup of tea from her thermos, sipping at it quietly. Kaname was only too grateful that she had resisted letting out that damming laugh of hers that always gave away whenever she was hiding something. Kyoko was the first to crack, sighing before announcing that she was moving on to the next question.

"When he's near you, how do you feel: a) Shy and try hiding a blush, b) Ignore it and treat him like a friend, c) So happy you just want to hug him, or d) Hang all over him then quickly move to the cute guy in the class next door?" Once again Mizuki decided to answer after writing, and express in loud exuberance how much she truly loved Tsubaki.

"Honestly Mizuki, you call that love? Sounds to me like you're more in love with love than with Tsubaki."

"And what would _you_ know Kaname?! Have you ever been in love?" Kaname wasn't the only one who was surprised that she hadn't batted an eye at the rather forward question. Staring down at the small paper again, she noticed that it had small Bonta-kuns printed on it. The small character brought up the brief memory of floating high on the rotation of a Ferris wheel, sadly smiling at one of the kindest boys she'd ever known, and turning him down.

"I'm not sure it was love, it was probably just a really big crush. But it felt close." Maya and Mizuki gasped as Kyoko looked back at her friend from over the pages of the magazine. Kyoko knew that both she and Kaname had the same boy in mind, hell, Kyoko had been there the last time she had gone out with him, trying to prove to a certain military obsessed boy that Kaname needed him to try reigning in his rather 'explosive nature' if he wanted to be with her.

"Who was it Kaname?"

"Yeah! You totally have to tell us now!" Putting on a Cheshire cat grin, Kaname shook her head, pleased when an exaggerated whine echoed from the two girls.

"Sorry guys, but I don't kiss and tell."

"No way!"

"You kissed him too!?"

"Pardon me for interrupting, but shouldn't we move on to the next question?" Marking down their answers, Mizuki and Maya still had pouts on their faces at being cheated out of such juicy gossip.

"Okay question number 3. Do you have anything in common?: a) Yes, lots of things, b) A few things, c) Don't know because you never really talked to him, or d) Who cares as long as he's cute. Wow, that seems like a really shallow answer". Both Kaname and Kyoko shared disgusted glances at the thought of anyone seriously choosing the last option, especially since Kaname had had numerous unpleasant experiences with those who only liked her for her looks. '_Bunch of creeps and perverts if you ask me_,' she thought with a grimace. Her mind wandering for a moment, her thoughts brought her back to Sousuke.

Thinking about it, they really didn't have much in common at all, though she couldn't deny that she was more than proud of his efforts toward being a normal teenager. He really did try his best, he just got mixed up because of how his life had been before. They were more or less kindred souls than anything else, and with all they had been through together, she trusted him more than anyone, and she was at least fairly certain that he trusted her as well. With him in mind, her pen drifted to the fold in her napkin, quickly jotting down a B, since that was the closest she could come to. Making sure to write down C, since there was no other answer that came close to saying and absolute '_no_', Kaname nodded in agreement at Kyoko's statement.

"No arguments here Ky. And by the way, thanks for not trying to set me up with losers anymore." It wasn't until Kaname saw the absolutely devious look on Kyoko's face that she regretted that all too innocent sentence.

"What makes you think I've stopped trying to set you up with guys Kana-chan? Maybe my taste just got better…" A chill went up Kaname's spine as Kyoko ever so masterfully stretched her arms above her head, letting them fall down slowly as she flexed her fingers in a way that only the group around them would recognize as her pointing over to the scruffy young man across the room. Feeling frustrated at all of their accusations, true or otherwise was beside the point; Kaname almost snapped the pen in half.

"Kyoko…"

"Yes Kana-chan?"

"Just read the next question," she ground out in a low voice. Unfazed by the often bi-polar responses of her best friend, Kyoko simply smiled innocently from across the gathered desks, the other girls waiting in silence for the rage burning next to them to flicker out.

"Question 4; Do you think you love him?: a) Sure of it but can never tell him, b) Really love him and already planning your wedding, c) Not sure and are just really confused, or d) Of course and so do the other girls at school."

"Boy some of these answers really are shallow."

"I agree, a few of these might make someone seem far too concerned with looks than how they really feel about the boy." Nodding along with her friends, Kaname dared another quick glance across the room at her boy in question. Kaname wanted to tell herself that looks were never in the equation when it concerned Sousuke, but even then, it was hard not to notice that he _was_ pretty handsome. When he had first started, he had been blowing up the shoe lockers almost three times a week, just to find out that they had all been love notes. And some girls were turned off when I guy had scars, but the one on his cheek had always made him look more manly to her, like something out of one of those wonderfully cheesy action flicks she loved. And she had to admit, though his hair almost always looked like he just crawled out of bed, he wore it well, and it only seemed to add to his slightly wild personality.

Once again, Kaname put down the least love-like answer on her paper, and marked the real one between the fold of her napkin. Reaching over to her bento she took a bite of some of her tempura before rubbing her temples. Thinking so much in the only half hour of the day that she wasn't supposed to was starting to wear on her brain, and she was sure that by the time she got home, she would have one major headache to greet her. "Are you alright Chidori-san?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Oren-san. Just a headache. So, what was your answer?"

"P-Pardon?"

"Oh come on Oren-san, we all know you have a huge thing for Hayashimizu-senpai. That is _definitely_ no secret." A sly grin coming to her face, Kaname leaned over to prop her head on her hands, and expectant smile waiting as Ren's face grew slightly pinker.

"I-I don't really…" as Ren's distress over her secret being blown became evident, Kaname relented. It wasn't her intention to force the issue, but it was nice for once to have the focus be on someone else for a minute. She just had to skirt around thinking too deeply on the last question, as she wasn't sure if she was ready to answer that one just yet. Oh sure, she knew she cared for him, maybe more so than any of her other friends, but did she really love him? Kaname had some serious doubts about Tessa's so-called affections for her subordinate. She just didn't seem to love him, so much as she just enjoyed teasing him. Albeit Kaname used the term '_teasing_' loosely when she thought about the last time the girl had come to visit while the TDD-1 had been under repair. That hadn't been teasing so much as it had been deliberate torture. Though Kaname still felt a little sheepish that she had given into Tessa's competitive nature and bickered so easily, she adamantly wanted to believe that she was only trying to help Sousuke survive the stressful fourteen day visit. Love was definitely not part of it…was it?

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she patted Ren's shoulder and giggled. "Don't worry about it Oren-san, I know you'll get him someday." Ren blushed deeper, her shoulders coming up in a reflex action, but a soft reply that sounded close to an '_I hope so_' made Kaname feel better. "Okay now, let's just move on to the next one. How many more are there Ky?"

"Um, looks like after this there's only two. So let's get going! We gotta finish and find out everyone's answer before class starts again! Question 5: Out of the following colors, which make you think of him: a) Red, b) Yellow, c) Blue, d) Pink, or e) White?" That question was almost a no brainer for Kaname. The same color that had stained his life since he was just a child, and the color that graced the shoulders of the black AS suit he wore; it was also the color of the shirt she had bought last week at the mall, and the color of the dress she wanted to buy for the next school dance.

Whenever she thought of him, whether it was good or bad, he had always been associated with Red. On its own it was a beautiful color, but when he had worn the thick maroon sweater she had given him when it had gotten colder, his tan looked a little softer, his hair looked richer, and she could have sworn his eyes were far more intense than when he looked down the barrel of his favorite Glock. '_Oh gods…I even know which gun is his favorite…_' Kaname squeezed the pen harder than before, trying desperately not to let her head fall flat onto the desk at her realization. '_I am so hopeless…_'

"Duh! It's so obvious!"

"What is Mizuki?"

"Pink of course!" All three girls stared at her for a moment, frozen in shock and pity that the color that made her think of the rough and tumble Karate Club Captain was so completely and utterly feminine. Still not quite sure what to think, Kaname dared a second part to the question.

"So…_pink_ makes you think of Tsubaki?" They had to suppress their laughter for as long as possible if they wanted her to answer. If there was one thing you learned quickly, it was that Mizuki had to believe she was right if you wanted her to say or do anything that might eventually compromise the immaculate image she had of herself.

"Of course, honestly what other color could make any girl look more delicate and feminine than that?" Unable to contain themselves any longer, the other for girls burst out laughing, the sound gaining the attention and curiosity of the other occupants of the classroom. From across the room, the three boys stared in confusion and a slight feeling of fear as Mizuki found reason to stand up from her seat and declare loudly that there was nothing wrong with pink.

"What the hell…?"

"You got me Ono-D, women are scary."

"Affirmative." About to turn back to their earlier conversation, Sousuke blinked in surprise when Kaname caught his gaze from across the room. With a much happier expression than he had seen on her all day, she made a few simple hand gestures, letting him know she would tell him about it later. Shinji and Ono-D just looked on, waiting for the right moment to commence the good natured teasing that always seemed so readily available whenever the subject of their friend's potential love-life presented itself.

"So I guess that means she's over this morning then huh Sousuke?"

"I suppose so." With a shit eating grin, Ono-D turned and wrapped his arms around himself and began making kissing sounds, the occasional '_oh Sousuke_' making it over his shoulder. Shinji laughed at the horrible imitation, and noting the disgusted face Sousuke had made in response only made things that much funnier. Ono-D turned back to join in and have a good laugh, though he was quite surprised when he found himself staring down the barrel of one of the 'toy' guns Sousuke managed to always keep on him.

"H-Hey, come on man, I was just kidding."

"You should not be making fun of our Class Representative in such a vulgar manner Onodera. It could bring down the image of the school." Knowing Sousuke a bit better than Ono-D, Shinji just put his hand on the barrel and lowered it from the other boys face.

"Calm down Sousuke, you know Ono-D didn't mean it." Slipping the gun back into the waistband of his pants, Shinji pulled out a candy bar he had saved and broke it into three pieces, passing it out as a peace offering. "So anyway, what were we talking about?"

"I believe Onodera was saying how excited he was about next month's sports day."

"Oh yeah! That's gonna be so fun!" From their place back on the other side of the room, the girls watched as the boys continued their somewhat spirited conversation about what sports they would be participating in the coming month.

"Boys are weird."

"Definitely."

"Totally."

"Wiser words were never said Ky."

"They have their moments." With unanimous nods around the table, Kyoko moved on to the next question.

"Okay, How do you feel about Love?: a) All you think about, b) Makes you feel special, c) Confusing and sometimes bittersweet, d) Nervous and jumpy, or e) Makes you look better than other girls." Of course Maya and Mizuki went straight for either A or E, as was the recent trend with the ridiculous quiz they had decided to take.

For once, Kaname didn't feel the need to hide her decision. Again making sure that no one saw her secret tally, she marked C for both. Really both 'confusing' and 'bittersweet' described the so-far unique relationship she held with her protector. Just when she thought they were making progress, his naiveté would sometimes take them three steps back from it. The whole thing was almost like sweet torture, having him so close and admitting that he cared and worried for her, then be completely clueless about some of the most common teenage occurrences. Still, it was those rare times when his elusive feelings did show that kept her hopes up. Maybe someday there _could_ be something between them…that is, if he ever learned.

"Okay! Last question! If the person you liked asked you out, what would you say?: a) Act shy but still say yes, b) Say yes and boldly kiss him, c) Say you'd like to get to know him better first, or d) Brush them off and tell them that someone else asked first, and they have to wait their turn."

"Really, some of these answers…"

"You got that right Maya, who honestly thinks of these things anyway?" Noticing her chance, Kaname made another mark on her secret tally before trying to nonchalantly stretch out her shoulders. However, the nice feeling of having her tired muscles stretched out was soon replaced by fear when she met the look on Kyoko's face. '_Oh god…did she see me? Does she know? Wait no, I can't act like I've been caught doing something! If I do and it makes a scene, then there will no hiding it from anyone! Damn you Sousuke! I know this is your fault somehow!!_' Trying to act as if nothing was wrong, Kaname toyed with a few stray strands of hair as she leaned forward in her seat.

"So, what did everyone put down?"

"Um, I put down A," Ren replied softly from her seat. With her personality though, that was almost expected that she would put down the most gentle and feminine answer. It was just how she acted, and it would have made no sense if she had put down something as ridiculously self-centered as D. Of course, at the same time, Mizuki was coming up with ways that D could sound not-so-selfish, like if two guys liked you and one had beaten the other to the punch. It still made no sense of course, but who really wanted to try arguing with her anyway?

"If I really liked him, I would go with B. I mean, if you really like him, and he's asking you out, he obviously feels the same way right?"

"Wow, daring aren't we Maya?"

"I'm just saying…" Maya replied before drinking some of the water from her thermos. After putting it down, she turned to Kyoko and asked what she had put down.

"I think I would want to get to know him better first actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, any guy can look good from a distance right? I would wanna know for sure that he's really someone I would want to spend that extra time with." Tilting her head to the side, Maya nodded.

"I guess that makes sense. I mean, look at Shirai he-"

"LET'S JUST COUNT UP OUR SCORE ALREADY!!!" Since Ren had been the only one not completely frozen by Mizuki's outburst, she gathered up the papers and gently took the magazine from Kyoko to tally the scores. Coughing lightly, Mizuki flipped her hair and crossed her arms on the desk. "I just want to finish this and get back to class before we're counted late. That's the last thing any of us need on our semester record."

"Okay…"

"Right, of course Mizuki."

"Makes absolute sense." Changing the subject while Ren finished counting up the scores, Kaname tried to mentally tally her 'real' score, since most of her answers had been either an outright 'no' or just the one farthest away from the truth.

"Okay, I'm done everyone." The girls quieted down, ready to hear what everyone had received. "Alright Mizuki, according to your score, you are deeply in love, but still need to find the right way of telling the person how you feel."

"Seriously? I've told Tsubaki a million times that I love him! How many other ways can there be!?" With a huff, she excused herself and made sure to grab her lunch before retreating from the classroom, mumbling something about 'stupid tests' and people who don't know anything about true love.

"Kyoko-san, this says that you may just have a crush and not to rush things. Sometimes being shy about a relationship can end up deepening the later feelings. Just be sure not to cut yourself off completely, or you could send out the wrong signals." Thinking about it for a moment, Kyoko nodded with a smile, her pigtails bouncing with the movement as she glanced over at Ono-D as he talked enthusiastically about the last time he had gone camping with his family.

"Kaname-san, it says here that you are not in love at all."

"Like that's a shocker. She practically went out of her way to answer no to every question, which let's face it, we _all_ know is a lie." Kaname fidgeted as the eyes around the gathering of desks focused squarely on her. Of course it had all been a lie! The object of her affections was less than ten feet from her, what else was she supposed to do?

"Look, guys seriously, why is it so hard to believe that I just don't like anyone that way?"

"Kana-chan, you aren't fooling anyone. We all know, so why give yourself such a hard time?" Kaname frowned, the stress from earlier that morning and trying to dodge the constant focus on her somewhat lacking love-life was starting to take its toll. It wasn't as if she had never considered any of these things before, but with a subject like 'love' and the possible recipient being Sousuke, it wasn't like Kaname could just run up to him and proclaim her feelings and have him instantly understand. Finally at her wits end, Kaname slammed her hands down on the desk as she stood, her bangs hiding her deep blush and the faint shine of tears.

"DID YOU EVER EVEN THINK THAT MAYBE IT'S JUST NOT THAT EASY!?" Her instant outburst had everyone staring at her, she could even feel it burning into her as she turned and ran from the classroom, too distressed to hear the other set of footsteps behind her.

She ran until she reached the far side of the baseball field, the blood rushing through her making her skin flushed, more so on her face as the blush still had yet to disappear. Reaching the chain link fence she clung to it as the frustrated tears fell, lowering to her knees as the weight of her emotions settled on her heart. '_Stupid love test!_' she thought as more tears rolled down her hot cheeks.

"What the hell does that stupid thing prove anyway!?"

"Chidori?" Her eyes burst open, kneeling frozen in the grass as she tried to clear her mind enough to think of a way to explain why she had done what she just did. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Her hands and shoulders were shaking, and she had run from the classroom like the hounds of hell had been biting at her heels. Sousuke wasn't sure just what had happened, but something had put her under an enormous amount of emotional stress in the short time after she had last been smiling. It took a lot to bring down Kaname Chidori, that much he knew, and it scared him to the core to think that something had happened to take away that smile so quickly. "Chidori please, tell me what happened. If there is any way I could be of assistance-"

"Sousuke…"

"Yes?" Still holding onto the fence she stood up, her voice somewhat steadier than it had been before, but he could still see her hands shaking a little.

"How…how do you feel about me?" The simple question caught him off guard. It wasn't often that he acknowledged his own feelings, doing so could cloud one's perception and enemies would be able to utilize them against you should they be found out. It had always just been easier to just ignore them anyway; feelings never had a place during missions. So instead, Sousuke took the logical route.

"It's my duty to protect you Chidori, so-"

"I mean how do you _feel_ about me, Sousuke? As a person, as…as a girl." This was going to get complicated. Though he hadn't really adjusted much in his new civilian life, he had learned that sometimes women just needed reassurance, if only to make things fall back in their proper place. He'd learned as much after his day observing her on her date with the boy from another school. Later that day, she had said that his inquiry about her had made her happy, so, something similar should work just as well. Taking a deep breath, Sousuke prepared himself, just in case she should want to hit him for anything he said wrong.

"You…you're an amazing person, Chidori." She froze, never expecting to hear such sweet words coming from him. "You do so much for everyone, our classmates and friends, you help people you don't even know, you help me at…everything. I-I never lied to you when I told you that I could do anything if you were there with me. It's because of you that I can pass my tests, I can fit in with normal people my own age…"

Her tears had started again, but this time they weren't because she was frustrated and sad. On the contrary, she couldn't have been happier. "It's only because of you that I found out I can make a future of my own if I wanted, one where I don't _have_ to be a soldier if I don't choose to be. You…"

"Yes?"

"You are …an incredible person Chidori."

"And…as a girl?" Her voice came out quiet and shaky, but it made him feel better hearing how hopeful it was too. His memory bringing up another instance, one that also had a favorable outcome, and one that he secretly treasured as well.

"You are, very…uh…" Treasuring such thoughts never made them easier to say out loud, and a deep blush came to his face as he tried to force himself to remain calm enough to say it. "Y-You are…"

"Sousuke?"

"Beautiful." Finally she turned around, a shine still in her eyes reflecting unshed tears. Leaning up against the fence, Kaname reached up to wipe them away before straightening back up. Reaching his obviously embarrassed face, she smiled at him, giggling when he only seemed to grow more nervous.

"Thank you, Sousuke." Though still nervous, he relaxed a little as she continued to smile back at him, the upsetting air that had settled around her slowly fading away. A feeling of accomplishment filled him, as he realized that for once he hadn't messed up and said something wrong, but instead, had made her feel happy again.

Still standing in the empty field, the grass gently swaying in the breeze, Kaname knew she wouldn't have to check the answers from the short quiz in the back of the magazine. She already knew her results, and they were always summed up in five small words.

"It's not a problem Chidori."


End file.
